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Lot 129
Hurley, Frank. Argonauts of the South: Being a Narrative of Voyagings and Polar Seas and Adventures in the Antarctic with Sir Douglas Mawson and Sir Ernest Shackleton. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1925. 1st edition. Royal 8vo. Orig. cloth with gilt titles.Top edge gilt, other edges uncut. (xvi, 290pp.). With frontispiece, presetation inscription to fly-leaf, 70 full-page plates after the author's photographs, 2 fold. maps, and illust. endpapers. Formerly in the collection of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum of maratime history, Detroit. The Michael Gilkes Collection of Travel & Exploration Books, Private Collection. James Francis 'Frank' Hurley (1885-1962) was an Australian photographer, film maker and adventurer, a man whose restless and enthusiastic spirit was always looking for the next challenge. He accompanied several expeditions to Antarctica and was an official photographer with Australian forces during both world wars. While there is debate that his use of composite photography reduced the documentary value of his photographs, his images remain dramatic and fascinating
Lot 372
1930's Texaco Motor Spirit Enamel decal. A circular, double-sided, enamel sign from a hand operated "stick" pump. The red border with white letters, 'Texaco - Motor Oil, enclosing a white ground with the Texaco logo and 'Reg T.M. - Made by the Texas Company U.S.A.'. 5½ x 5in. (13.97 x 12.70cm)
Lot 2406
Connie Hicks, 'Winter 1913', a still life depicting a lantern, long clay pipe, bottle of spirit with wicker handle beyond, watercolour, signed and titled 1913, 25.5 cm by 35.5 cm approx; together with L.B. Ward, scene of cottages in Polperro, Cornwall, signed lower right 26.5 cm by 38 cm approx (2)
Lot 211A
West Africa, Yoruba culture, Ibeji, ca. early 20th century. A nice example of a deceased female twin figure, known as an Ibeji, most likely from Osogbo or the Igbomina region of Yorubaland (spanning Nigeria, Togo, and Benin). The Yoruba have one of the highest number of twin births in the world, four times higher than in Europe, for example. Size: 3.2" W x 11.75" H (8.1 cm x 29.8 cm) Ibeji are known to the Yoruba as two people who share one soul. If one of the human twins dies, whether as a child or an adult, the surviving human twin is considered to have little hope of living with only half a soul. When a twin dies, a figure dedicated to Ibeji, the deity of twins, is carved to be the earthly abode of the spirit of that twin. Wooden figures, like this one, are created to keep the souls of the twins together. This female figure shows darkened, worn, and smooth surfaces which convey the devotion and respect to the Ibeji spirit. Take note of the painstaking attention to details, particularly the elaborately carved coiffure painted with organic indigo violet-blue pigment, the bold facial features, and the beaded jewelry at neck and wrists. Provenance: Ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, IL, acquired prior to 1970. Condition: Some signs of patina and wear. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #118687
Lot 79E
China, Hongshan, 3500 to 2200 BCE. A tutelary spirit figure depicting a turtle, a symbol of longevity, expertly carved from a single piece of translucent quartz crystal. Tutelary spirits are community deities of creation and nature traditionally believed to serve as guides with divine power, symbols associated with villages populated by particular surnames and ancestry. A very strong example with a perforation under the neck for suspension. Size: 2.875" L x 1.75" W (7.3 cm x 4.4 cm) Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection formed over the period between 1980 and 2000; Ex-Peter Klika collection Condition: Near choice if not choice. Nice mineral deposits. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119842
Lot 79D
China, Hongshan, 3500 to 2200 BCE. A tutelary spirit figure amulet, expertly carved from a single piece of translucent quartz crystal in the shape of a celt flanked by a pair of human-faced crescent moons. Tutelary spirits are community deities of creation and nature traditionally believed to serve as guides with divine power, symbols associated with villages populated by particular surnames and ancestry. A very strong example with perforations at top and bottom for suspension. Size: 2.75" L x 2.125" W (7 cm x 5.4 cm)The Chinese, like many cultures, have traditionally been fond of the moon, a celestial body that conjures both charm and mystery. There is the infamous mid-autumn Moon Festival that is believed to bring about good fortune, harmony, and abundance. It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, and is the occasion for enjoying moon caked and family reunions. Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection formed over the period between 1980 and 2000; Ex-Peter Klika collection. Condition: Choice. Gorgeous translucency and nice mineral deposits. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119838
Lot 224a
Latin America, Mexico, probably Michocacan or Guerrero State, ca. early 20th century CE. In Mexico, the strong bonds between human beings and animals really comes through in visual culture, particularly in masks like this example. Here we have an extraordinary mask, probably from the Guerrero region, in the form of a black bird with a pronounced beak and large human eyes, Two serpents that form brows and continue down each cheek, and a hungry looking jaguar with a long curled tail crawling upon the beak. According to Donald Cordry, in his "Mexican Masks" "‘In ancient Mexico the idea of the mystic unity of man and animals was widespread ... The Olmecs, for example, associated themselves with the jaguar and were “able” to transform themselves into men-jaguars and jaguar-men.’ The shaman - ‘a spiritual technician whose soul could travel to the spirit world and cause animal spirits to return to earth so that hunger and want could be averted’ - was held in very high regard in ancient Mexico." Size: 6.75" W x 11.25" H (17.1 cm x 28.6 cm) Provenance: Ex-Adeon Gallery, Nick Poolos, Chicago, IL acquired before 1970. Condition: Expected surface wear with minor paint loss as shown. Otherwise intact and excellent. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #113219
Lot 79F
China, Hongshan, 3500 to 2200 BCE. A tutelary spirit figure depicting a cricket, expertly carved from a single piece of translucent, amber-hued stone. Tutelary spirits are community deities of creation and nature traditionally believed to serve as guides with divine power, symbols associated with villages populated by particular surnames and ancestry. A stunning example of spiritual art, replete with finely carved and incised details, rich red hues, and layers of meaning. Openwork under front legs and wings for suspension. Size: 2.5" L x 1.75" H (6.4 cm x 4.4 cm)In early China, crickets served as symbols of longevity as well as the growing season. When crickets appeared each year, this was a signal to plant crops. When they disappeared in autumn, it was time to harvest the crops. Crickets have also been a traditional symbol of success and family size in China, as they lay hundreds of eggs prior to their demise. Adding another layer of symbolism, crickets have also been associated with music, given their chirping sounds. Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection formed over the period between 1980 and 2000; ex-Peter Klika collection Condition: Minor surface wear with near invisible abrasions. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119841
Lot 209C
Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bakongo peoples, ca. 19th century CE. This hand-carved wood power figure, called a nkisi nkondi, is carved in the likeness of a human being which symbolizes its purpose, as each nkisi nkondi has traditionally been of service in human affairs. Wrapped in cloth, innumerable nails have been driven into the form over time. Each nail represents an occasion when two or more parties met to come to an agreement, make peace, settle an argument, investigate or solve a problem that had troubled villagers. Size: 5" W x 10.5" H (12.7 cm x 26.7 cm)Power figures like this have traditionally been used during judicial procedures of the Kongo peoples. In addition to settling legal disputes, nkisi nkondi have traditionally been used to protect a village, demonstrate innocence or guilt, heal the ill, and put an end to disasters. The types of nails or blades used reflects the kind of agreement made or the severity of the offense.Beyond this, Nkisi Nkondi derive their spiritual powers from the medicinal powers deposited in cavities, either the stomach or the head of such figures. In this example those powdery substances are visible through a translucent face of the protruding round cavity over the abdominal region. The Bakongo peoples believe in the deity Ne Kongo who presented the first sacred medicine (or nkisi) from the celestial realm in an earthenware vessel that he carefully placed upon three termite mounds or stones. Nkisi generally translates as "spirit" and manifests in a container of sacred medicines or substances that are thought to be catalyzed by the supernatural when summoned into the earthly world. Oftentimes an nkisi manifests as a modest bundle; however, carved wooden figures like this marvelous example are more impressive visual manifestations.This particular example is quite dramatic. The visage is quite expressive peering out from deep eye sockets which represent the "other world" where spirits of the deceased reside and a slightly opened mouth, suggesting prayer or chanting. Said spirits are thought to peer through the eyes and identify enemies and guilty parties. Provenance: Ex-Private Pasadena, CA collection acquired before 1970 Condition: Surface wear and encrustations commensurate with age and use. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #118630
Lot 80
China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A wonderfully preserved example of a tomb attendant. Mold made, with details all the way around the body, this figure was made to stand inside of a tomb, waiting to assist the deceased in the afterlife. The figure is male, with long hair in a ponytail, painted black, and a cleanshaven face with strong details. He wears a long white robe with enormous sleeves, hiding any suggestion of hands. The robe has red borders and is particularly well detailed around the neck. Size: 6.3" W x 14" H (16 cm x 35.6 cm)Tomb attendants like this one are part of a class of artifacts called mingqi - sometimes known as "spirit utensils" or "vessels for ghosts". They became popular in the Han Dynasty and would persist for several centuries. Alongside figures like this one were musicians, athletes, animals, structures… Even though they were mass produced, mingqi of the Han Dynasty often show a high level of detail and naturalism. These were designed to assist the po, the part of the soul of the deceased that remained underground with the body while the hun, the other part of the soul, ascended. Caring for the po seems to have taken on a new level of meaning in the Han period, with more elaborate rituals and tomb construction arising. Provenance: Ex-S. Young Collection, New Hampshire Condition: Intact, with much remaining pigment. Signs of wear, root marks, and dirt encrustation over body. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #118750
Lot 210B
West Africa, Yoruba culture, Ibeji, ca. early 20th century CE. A nice example of a deceased male twin figure, known as an Ibeji, most likely from Osogbo or the Igbomina region of Yorubaland (spanning Nigeria, Togo, and Benin).Size: 3.4" W x 10.55" H (8.6 cm x 26.8 cm) The Yoruba have one of the highest number of twin births in the world, four times higher than in Europe, for example. Ibeji are known to the Yoruba as two people who share one soul. If one of the human twins dies, whether as a child or an adult, the surviving human twin is considered to have little hope of living with only half a soul. When a twin dies, a figure dedicated to Ibeji, the deity of twins, is carved to be the earthly abode of the spirit of that twin. Wooden figures, like this one, are created to keep the souls of the twins together. This male figure shows darkened, worn, and smooth surfaces which convey the devotion and respect to the Ibeji spirit. Take note of the painstaking attention to details, particularly the elaborately carved coiffure, the jewelry, and the red pigment remaining on the surface. Provenance: Ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, IL, acquired prior to 1970. Condition: Obvious signs of wear. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #118404
Lot 68
India, Rajasthan, ca. 19th century CE or earlier. A well-carved pink sandstone figure of a yakshi assuming a sensual, sinuous tribhanga pose, wearing a short seemingly transparent dhoti, beaded necklaces and bracelets, elaborate armbands, large ear ornaments, and cascading ribbons flowing from her arms to her ankles, her head tilted slightly to the side as she leans against a tree to bring about the bearing of fruit or flowers, the entire figure posed atop a lotus pedestal. Size: 5.25" W x 11.25" H (13.3 cm x 28.6 cm)A yakshi is a female earth spirit and symbol of fertility for Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. This symbolism goes back to a period in Indian history when trees were regarded as objects of worship, oftentimes associated with old fertility festivals, when courting youths and maidens gathered the blossoms of the sal tree. In Indian mythology, the yakshi is a fertility symbol. She represents not only the bride of the tree, but also the sap of the tree, its life-fluid, thereby the life-fluid of all creation.Characteristically portrayed as a voluptuous female figure, yakshi has the power to prompt a tree to bear fruit simply by leaning against it and touching it with her foot. As she enacts this feat, she displays a sultry tribhanga pose which suggests a sensuous energy and maternal nature. As opposed to the term contraposto, tribhanga literally means three parts break, in which the sculptor created three bends in the body; at the neck, waist and knee. The result is that the body is oppositely curved at waist and neck which gives it a gentle "S" shape. A spectacular rendering of a yakshi with ample curves, wide hips, and a generally well-endowed female body that symbolizes the fertility of the earth. Provenance: Ex English Private Collector Peter Sloane Condition: Overall very good condition. Some repair to face. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119379
Lot 207
A mahogany Wheel barometer by F. Boveri of Holborn, early 19th century, swan neck pedemant with centralised urn finial, circular hygrometer above arched glass fronted thermometer, ten inch silvered dial barometer with centralised compass rose, lower section fittted with spirit level, satin wood crossbanding, 42.½in.(108cm.)
Lot 206
A George IV mahogany wheel barometer by J. Ronketti, circular hygrometer with brass bezel rectangular thermometer above large circular barometer with blue steel and brass hands, spirit level to lower section signed by maker, ebonised strung circumference, later surmounted finial, 45in. (114.2cm.).
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49472 item(s)/page